SHUTDOWN

As they've been promising for days, weeks, months, Republican leaders of the House and Democratic leaders of the Senate didn't budge Monday night, each side refusing to give ground on Obamacare, which has become the central issue in the ongoing federal budget showdown.

Following hours of ping-ponging legislation, the day ended where it began.

Late Monday night, the Office of Management and Budget directed agencies to execute plans for shutting down.

Back and forth

The House wouldn't keep the government running as long as the Affordable Care Act remained untouched.

The Senate wouldn't budge on the timing or funding of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, even if it meant running out of money.

Both chambers voted twice Monday, and the House voted a third time early today. There were several verbal exchanges – we won't consider this, we're proposing that – that didn't come to a vote but had the same polarizing effect.

And so, as all those TV analysts have been warning, the federal budget deadline expired at midnight, and for now, the federal government is partially shut down.

The news will sound familiar in the coming days. Senate and House leaders will continue negotiating – or at least posturing – on how to keep government operating. One option: Agreeing to a continuing resolution that would spend money at the current levels for another week, month or maybe three months, giving time for more debate.

What won't change, because there was no vote on Sen. Barbara Boxer's proposal: Members of Congress will continue to be paid throughout the shutdown.

What's next?

Although it's the first shutdown in 17 years, most analysts agree that it sounds worse, at least in the short term, than it really will be. It's a partial shutdown.

Approximately 800,000 federal workers face furloughs. Employees will receive an official email today explaining whether they are essential or slated to be furloughed.

National parks, including Cleveland National Forest, may be closed, especially if the shutdown lasts longer than three days.

Obamacare sign-ups – in this state at Covered California – will not be affected.

Federal courts in Orange County will remain open for at least two weeks.

Social Security, welfare payments and food stamps will continue.

Active military personnel will be paid.

Next important deadline: Oct. 17, when the debt ceiling takes effect. On that date, the government will no longer be able to borrow money to pay its bills.